Rift Between China, International Community OverMaldives Growing February 09, 2018 9:13 AM
· BillIde AMaldivian policeman charges with a baton towards protesters after thegovernment declared a state of emergency, in Male, Maldives, Feb. 6, 2018. Share · BEIJING — China has waded into agrowing political crisis involving the small island nation of Maldives, urgingthe international community to play what it calls a “constructive role” in theongoing dispute, putting itself at odds with the United Nations on the issue. The Maldives, which is known more for its luxury resorts, has become anincreasingly important part of China’s global trade and infrastructure project,the "Belt and Road" initiative. It is also seen by analysts as a keystrategic outpost in the Indian Ocean, despite its close proximity to India. Earlier this month, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state ofemergency and ordered the arrest of Supreme Court judges and oppositionpoliticians, a move that critics argue is aimed at silencing opponents of thecurrent administration ahead of elections later this year. FILE - An aerial viewof Maldives capital Male, Dec. 9, 2009. The judges were jailedafter issuing a surprise ruling that called for the release of imprisonedopposition politicians. The growing number of arrests has sparked outcries frominternational rights groups and in a phone call late Thursday, U.S. PresidentDonald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "expressed concernabout the political crisis in the Maldives and the importance of respect fordemocratic institutions and rule of law,” according to a White House statement. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged Yameen to end thestate of emergency and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’adal-Hussein has called the moves an “all-out assault on democracy. In a bid to garner international support, the Maldives sent envoys to Pakistan,Saudi Arabia and China this week. According to a Chinese Foreign Ministrystatement Friday, the country’s economic development minister, Mohamed Saeed,met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Thursday. China stresses non-interference According to thestatement, Wang Yi told the official that China believes the Maldivesgovernment and people have the "wisdom and ability to appropriately handlethe issue facing them and return the country to normal order in accordance withthe law." And in a remark apparently aimed at the growing international chorus and theUnited Nations against the Maldives government’s actions, he also said:"China does not interfere in the Maldives' internal affairs, which is alsoan important criterion of the rules of the United Nations charter." Maldivian PresidentAbdulla Yameen, center, surrounded by body guards arrives to address supportersin Male, Feb. 3, 2018. Wang added that China has provided selfless aid to thecountry. Ha….ha… hanya si Chan yang percaya kata-kata Mr. Wang ini Wang did notelaborate, but former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has said that Beijinghas assumed more than 70 percent of the island nation’s debt and that nearly aquarter of the country’s current budget is used to cover interest payments.Similar comments about Chinese loans and indebtedness have come from politicalleaders in Sri Lanka, another island nation that Beijing is funding in the hopeof gaining more access to the Indian Ocean. Over the past year, the Maldives’ government has putits support behind China’s trillion-dollar global trade and infrastructureproject, the “Belt and Road” initiative, signed a free trade agreement withBeijing and Chinese companies are involved a number of projects there,including the expansion of the Male airport. Strategicvalue In addition to growingeconomic ties, there is a strategic element that is also important. China opened its first overseas military base, or asit calls them “logistic hub,” in Djibouti last year and there have beencredible reports, analysts note, that more are on the way. According toreports, a base is under serious consideration near Gwadar Port in Pakistan,and another along the east coast of Africa, notes David Brewster, a senioranalyst with the National Security College at Australian National University. “That would then leave, if China wished to have a serious presencecovering the Indian Ocean, it would also require another naval and or airbasein the eastern or central Indian Ocean and the most realistic places for thatto be located are either in Sri Lanka or the Maldives,” he said. But, while Beijing has significanteconomic interests in Maldives and strategic goals as well, the island nationis still well within India’s geopolitical orbit. Earlier this week,Nasheed, who has taken up refuge in India, urged New Delhi to send an envoy tothe archipelago, "backed by its military." He also asked the UnitedStates to "stop all financial transactions of Maldives regime leadersgoing through U.S. banks." Brewster said Beijingwill be navigating the crisis carefully to keep that from happening and workingtogether with others, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. “Certainly there is nodoubt that China will want to see Yameen stay in power and it would be inChina’s interests for Yameen not to overstep the mark and do anything toovertly provoke India,” Brewster said. “China certainly does not want to giveIndia any reason to intervene and [for that to] lead to the restoration ofdemocracy.”
